Par
Francois Desserre
Published on
Nov. 16, 2024 at 5:16 p.m.
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Lithium batteries are in the crosshairs of the Yvelines firefighters. Not for the service they provide on a daily basis, but for their dangerousness. “A battery that overheats and catches fire becomes uncontrollable », summarizes Lieutenant-Colonel Sébastien Frémont, head of the prevention group.
Prevention precisely. The department's firefighters took advantage of the recent acquisition of three vans to do so. For 10 years, everyone has been accustomed to seeing a huge automatic smoke detector on the side of vehicles. In this month of November 2024, it is a scooter with this message: “Never recharge it near the only exit door of your accommodation! » The advice is valid for living rooms, under the bed…
In seconds
“A lithium battery has a lot of components. It suffers shocks, like with scooters. It deteriorates over time. All this can lead to degradation and therefore an internal and chain reaction. It starts with smoke propelled under pressure, then flames or even an explosion. All in seconds. »
Two tragedies were narrowly avoided in Yvelines, in 2023, in Mantes-la-Jolie and Saint-Cyr-l'École. An apartment and a social hotel were destroyed by a battery fire. Several injuries were reported.
“You must therefore at all costs avoid putting your vehicle to recharge in front of the exit door or in common areas. The ideal is to do this on a terrace, in an open place. To monitor. And of unplug once the load is completed,” specifies Lieutenant David Montmartin, head of the Chevreuse rescue center. One of the vans is in his barracks. The other two are in Vésinet and Magnanville.
The economy multiplies the risks
The two officers are unanimous in recommending choosing your equipment with the greatest care. “A battery sold at lower pricedoes not necessarily have the right quality. Particularly in the insulation of its heart but also in the electronic system which must stop the charge when it reaches 100%. Saving money sometimes means increasing the risk of fire. And don't think about controlling the reaction of the battery. She is violent and very fast. »
An observation which, for firefighters, can also apply to an electronic cigarette or the computer that we leave on when falling asleep in bed after a series.
This prevention operation is to be credited to a partnership between the Departmental Fire and Rescue Service of Yvelines and the association FDNY – SP78 (Fire Department of New York – Sapeurs-Pompiers des Yvelines)
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